so, my friend let me borrow a book last week, and i read it in about a day. it's ron paul's book the revolution: a manifesto, and it made me simultaneously happy and gave me what feels like an ulcer. [thanks to mindapart also for that ulcer .] i was happy because in reading it i found someone talking about many of the things that have always bothered me about our governmental system, but that i had never heard anyone other than myself and other deeply paranoid members of my family give voice to. i was relieved beyond all reason to hear someone say "this needs to stop" and have disseminated it for anyone to read. the ulcer is because i realize most people won't read it and most people are perfectly content with the nanny-state that we are slowly allowing to build up around us because they haven't really thought about it. and i realize that it s unlikely that they ever will. it also made me realize just how huge the problems are. i knew they were there but hadn't been able to let myself think too hard about them-- fearing said ulcer. blarg. i don't know where i was going with this. maybe i'll edit that part in later...